Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Kailash Choudhary called upon the farmers to make use of government’s schemes such as Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and subsidy on purchase of drones.
Participating in the inaugural session of TechBharat 2022, a three-day conclave and exhibition that seeks to bring together stakeholders from the food technology and agriculture sectors at CFTRI in Mysuru, Mr. Chaudhary emphasised the need for farmers to add value and brand their produce by setting up their own processing units so that their earnings increase.
Acknowledging the difficulties individual farmers faced in establishing their own processing unit, Mr. Chaudhary suggested that about 300 farmers can come together and set up their own Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO). The Government of India had set a target of supporting an estimated 10,000 FPOs in the country through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
Though the Government had set aside ₹1 lakh crore for Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, barely ₹6,000 crore had been spent on the scheme since its start about one-and-a=half years ago, he lamented. “This is because farmers are not aware of the scheme”, he said.
The Fund can be made use for setting up polyhouses, cold storage, sorting or grading units, besides warehouses. The Government will extend laon assistance upto ₹2 crore with a 3 per cent discount on interest, Mr. Chaudhary said while adding that there was no need for the farmers to submit any collateral while availing the facility.
He said the FPOs were eligible for 75 per cent subsidy on purchase of drones to be used in agriculture. The use of drones in agriculture will not only check the harmful effect of pesticides when a farmer sprays it on the crop, but the censors will help the farmers use the exact amount of pesticide or fertilizer required for the crop.
Mr. Kailash Chaudhary said the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre had increased its allocation for the farm sector to help farmers not only double their income, but increase it manifold.
Prior to 2013, the country’s budget for agriculture was ₹23,000 crore per annum. But, now it is ₹1.32 lakh crore, which is about six times more. Out of this ₹ 65,000 crore is going directly into the accounts of farmers at the rate of ₹6,000 each through the Kisan Samman Nidhi.
He claimed that a large number of youths in the country were now looking to engage in agriculture after the strides the country had started making in the field. Several youngsters had floated start-ups to make India Atmanirbhar, he said.
Minister for Agriculture, Government of Karnataka, B.C. Patil, former CEO Infosys Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of APEDA, Department of Commerce M. Angamuthu, and CFTRI Director Sridevi Singh were also present on the occasion.
